1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an umbrella support for use with a vehicle having a hitch receiver and more particularly to an umbrella support which may be moved to many different positions with respect to the vehicle so that the umbrella may be used to its full potential.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many types of umbrella supports have been previously provided for supporting or positioning an umbrella adjacent to a vehicle or on the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,295,473 discloses a bumper-mounted umbrella support, but the same is not pivotally mounted. U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,741 discloses a hitch-mounted umbrella. Although the chairs of the ""741 patent can be moved to various locations, the umbrella is fixed in place. U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,843 discloses an adjustable umbrella with the stand thereof being positioned below the wheel of the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,269 discloses a hitch-mounted umbrella, but the umbrella cannot be pivoted from side to side. U.S. Pat. No. 6,189,458 illustrates a hitch-mounted umbrella, but the same is not pivotally mounted about a vertical axis. U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,617 discloses a hitch-mounted umbrella support as well as a rearwardly extending arm which supports a barbeque or the like. In the embodiment of FIG. 1 of the ""617 patent, the grill may be pivoted about a vertical axis 3 so as to be movable in the direction of the arrows. In the embodiment of FIG. 11, the umbrella support is positioned at the outer end of the arm 30 and is pivotally mounted about the vertical axis 3, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3. Although the ""617 patent discloses a hitch-mounted umbrella which may be swung from side to side, the umbrella support of the ""617 patent apparently does not have the ability to adjust the spacing of the umbrella with respect to the vehicle in a wide variety of positions nor does the umbrella support of the ""617 patent apparently have the ability to have pivotally move the umbrella support to various positions with respect to the vehicle and to lock the same in place.
When an umbrella is positioned at the rear of the vehicle, as illustrated in certain of the prior art patents, the upper end of the umbrella may engage the roof of the vehicle or the rear of the vehicle. Further, once the vehicle has been parked and the umbrella set up, the movement of the sun will change with respect to the vehicle and the umbrella will be less than efficient if the umbrella cannot be moved rearwardly and forwardly with respect to the vehicle and cannot be moved in a side to side manner with respect to the vehicle.
A hitch-mounted umbrella support for use with a vehicle having a hitch receiver at the rearward end thereof is provided. The umbrella support comprises a substantially horizontally disposed hitch bar which has its inner or forward end selectively received by the hitch receiver. The hitch bar has a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart openings formed therein which are adapted to be selectively matched with the holes in the hitch receiver so that a locking pin can be inserted therein. An upper clevis element is mounted on the upper outer end of the hitch bar and extends rearwardly therefrom. A lower clevis element is mounted on the lower outer end of the hitch bar and extends rearwardly therefrom. The upper and lower clevis elements have a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart openings formed therein which register with one another. A horizontally disposed support bar has its inner end received between the upper and lower clevis elements and has a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart openings formed therein which are adapted to be selectively aligned with the openings formed in the upper and lower clevis elements. A selectively removable hitch pin extends through one of the openings in the upper clevis element, one of the openings in the support bar, and one of the openings in the lower clevis element. A substantially U-shaped locking member is selectively utilized and includes a base portion having first and second spaced-apart pin members extending downwardly therefrom. The first pin member selectively extends downwardly through one of the openings in the upper clevis element. The second pin member selectively extends downwardly through one of the openings in the support bar. The U-shaped locking member locks the support bar against pivotal movement with respect to the hitch bar. A vertically disposed hollow tube is secured to the support bar at the outer end thereof which receives the pole of the umbrella therein. The hitch bar is selectively longitudinally adjustably pivoted to the upper and lower clevis elements to enable the hollow tube at the outer end of the support bar to be pivotally moved to many different positions with respect to the hitch bar and to permit the hollow tube to be selectively moved towards or away from the vehicle.
Although the hitch-mounted support of this invention is ideally suited for supporting an umbrella, which is the preferred embodiment, the vertically disposed hollow tube thereof could also be used for supporting a small table or rack having a tube extending downwardly therefrom into the hollow tube and secured thereto by any convenient means.
It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide an improved umbrella support for use with a vehicle having a hitch receiver.
A further object of the invention is to provide an umbrella support for use with a vehicle having a hitch receiver including means for selectively pivoting the umbrella to many different positions with respect to the vehicle and to permit the umbrella to be moved towards the vehicle and away from the vehicle.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an umbrella support for use with a vehicle having a hitch receiver which is durable in use and refined in appearance.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a hitch-mounted support for supporting an umbrella, small table, rack, etc.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.